FIFA 2011 Women's World Cup: Q & A with Team USA's Heather Mitts

Ahead of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, Bleacher Report’s very own Jo-Ryan Salazar talked with USA Women’s National Team defender Heather Mitts about a new way to exercise, the USA’s plans for the Women’s World Cup and other random nuances in the world of world football. Have a read.

Talk about the TRX training system that you have been using. What is it all about?

It’s kind of the new wave of the future. I mean, you see everybody using it now. You go on YouTube and you see a million different ways to exercise using it, and I have been using it for a couple of years.

You know, I love it because I live out of my PJs and I can take it with me on the road. And it incorporates a lot of body weight, so it’s great for me in-season to work not only on your current strength but also on your injury recovery which, fortunately, I have been doing a lot of lately. And the core is very important for me as a player, so I work a lot on different core exercises. You know, the TRX is the way to go.

Is it frustrating being a female athlete at the top level, knowing that despite being better than countless males playing in the same sport, you'll never make the same impact on mass culture or wages they do?
 

Honestly, I think that we’re fighting a battle here to get women’s soccer to remain here in the United States, especially with our league. You know, we realize that it’s hard to have a start-up league, especially during hard economic times. And, you know, we’re trying to do everything possible to help soccer get further here in the United States, and that’s our goal, first and foremost.

Is it frustrating that you, an Olympic medalist, have to sex yourself up in photo ops to be appealing to a mass sports audience?

No, it’s not. You know, I feel like it’s one of things where, you know, a lot of the photo opportunities, the media opportunities are catered towards that. And, you know, I think in the past there’s been a lot of things I have turned down because I didn’t feel like it was a good portrayal of myself or the way I wanted to be portrayed.

And the people who look up to me…I think I’ve made really good choices on that, and, you know, I think I’ve been very, very fortunate to do all the things I have done based on the fact that I play something I love for a living.

Aside from the TRX, how have you and the team been preparing for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup?

You know, the past four years—since the last Olympics—it’s a new crop of players and, you know, I think we have a career crop of veterans, also a very young team. We have a lot of rising stars that are getting their first opportunity to play in a World Cup and, you know, a lot of veteran leadership as well.

You know, I think for us, it’s just a matter of becoming, you know, better at the things that we already do, and really trying to evolve as, you know, an amazing soccer team. And [manager] Pia Sundhage has done that for us for the fact that she came in, and she’s trying to teach us how to play beautiful soccer, to really raise our level and, you know, we already have that American grit to go over there. And then on top of that, we’re trying to play a better style of soccer.

What are the most exciting parts of representing the USA in the FIFA Women’s World Cup?

You know, whenever you’re able to play for your country, it’s an immense opportunity. And to be able to play in a World Cup, I mean, this is what soccer’s all about. To be able to go to Germany, a great soccer country and to play in front of the fans and in a World Cup…I mean, it’s the pinnacle of this sport, and to be selected to be part of this team of 21 players, I mean, it’s just a real honor that I’m really looking forward to.

What are the things fans need to know about Team USA in the FIFA Women’s World Cup?

I think they need to know that, you know…we’re going to be a strong opponent; that we know that there isn’t such a thing as an easy game anymore. But I think that after our episodes last year during qualifiers, we kind of learned that all the teams around the world are really becoming so much stronger; and to be prepared, we’re ready to go over there and show the world what a great team we are.

I think in the last two games against Japan, everybody’s starting to peak—to find a rhythm and to peak at the right time. So it’s really exciting for us and we’re really looking forward to going over there and playing our style of soccer.

Do you guys need to win in order for Pia Sundhage to keep her job?

You know, I would like to think that she brings a special quality to our team, which is why we won the 2008 Olympics. She’d already been there for a couple of months, you know, with us. What she brings to this team…I don’t think we necessarily have to win, but I think it would be great if we could under her as a coach. But I also think that she has brought so much to this team already that, you know, her job’s pretty safe.

How disappointing was it to have to go to a playoff in order to qualify for the Women’s World Cup?

I mean, you know, it’s not ideal but you know, I think it was a great lesson for us. I mean, it really made us realize that, hey, we’re not gonna go out here and we’re not gonna beat teams easily anymore. I mean, you know, everybody’s getting better. They are catching up to us. It’s not like back in, you know, the 1999 team, when you’re beating teams 5-0. It’s not like that anymore.

All these teams are improving. They’re all catching up. They’re all competitive. We’re not gonna have one easy game while we’re over there in Germany, and we realize that. So now we’re ready, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Do you think that men and women will ever play professionally (or semi-professionally) in the same team in a domestic league? A few years ago there were some stories linking a couple of the Swedish women’s national team with the men’s side in Italy, Perugia, but nothing came of it. Do you think it’s possible?

I mean, you never want to say never. But I just think that, you know, unfortunately we’re just men and women; they’re just spelled differently. You know, it’s hard for us to compete with their strengths and their physicality and their speed. It’s a different game.

Who do you think is the favorite and why?

I mean…I would like to say that based on the rankings, you know, it’s us, but, you know, it’s kinda hard to ignore the fact that there are so many great teams. You know, it’s really difficult to say that there’s just one person or one team that’s really standing out.

You know, it’s gonna be really hard to beat Germany on their home soil in front of their fans. We all know that. They’re a great team. You have Brazil. You have North Korea. You have England. There are so many teams now that…that’s why it’s going to be an interesting World Cup. But, I mean, we always have to say that we’re gonna be the winner.

How would you like a matchup with the hosts Germany?

You know, it would be great because it would mean we’re in the final. And if we can beat all those other great teams to get to that point, you know, I think…why not? Why not try to beat Germany on their own country, hosting the World Cup? You can’t ask for a better challenge than that.   

How do you feel about the New York Cosmos being revived?

I mean, it would be great. They are one of the great teams that were here in the United States in the very beginning. So I think that if they can bring them back, I think that it will be very exciting for soccer here in the United States.

Who are your young players to watch out for in this year's Women’s World Cup?

Well, we have a relatively young team. You know, you’re gonna see Rachel Buehler playing her first World Cup. You’re gonna see Alex Morgan, who is the young rising star on the national team, who brings speed and, you know, just strength and just so many different things she can bring off the bench.

You know, you have a lot of players that are playing in their first World Cup, you know, and I think that’s exciting. They all bring something to this team.

We have Tobin Heath, who is a pretty young player, and Amy Rodriguez is still young. You forget that she’s still young. She’s been at the Olympics, and she’s still young. So we have a relatively young team and we have a lot of veterans, and I think that’s just good enough.

Do you think FIFA needs a dedicated female executive committee to make decisions on Women's soccer as opposed to the all-male executive committee?

You know, I don’t know much about that. I mean, it would be nice that if it ever came down to that, we would have one, but I think right now, FIFA does a really good job with what they have. So, you know, I’m happy with it, no complaints from this end.

If you could compare yourself to any male player who would it be and why?

Gosh, comparing myself to any male player…that’s a tough one. You got me stumped right now. I have to think about that one for a little bit and get back to you.